ASDA Travel Money vs Tesco Travel Money - Which is best?

Tommy Buckley

23.11.23

6 minute read

If you’re planning an overseas holiday and you prefer to spend in cash, you’ll need to buy some foreign currency. There are lots of ways to do it, but one of the most convenient could be your local supermarket.

Both ASDA and Tesco offer travel money services, but which is best? So you can choose the most convenient and cost-effective option for you, we’ve put together a helpful guide comparing the two.

It’s ASDA Travel Money vs. Tesco Travel Money, covering everything from fees and exchange rates to currencies and delivery options.

We’ll also take a look at an alternative for holiday spending - the Wise card.

Learn more about Wise

It’s a powerful international debit card for spending and withdrawing cash in 150+ countries, offering better rates than many currency exchange services.

ASDA Travel Money vs. Tesco Travel Money - an overview

ASDA Travel Money and Tesco Travel Money are both foreign currency exchange services. They let you order currency online, for in-store pick up or home delivery. Alternatively, you can visit your local supermarket (as long as it has an in-store travel money counter) to buy and collect your holiday money.

Both services are provided in partnership with foreign currency specialist Travelex, and they work in almost exactly the same way.

They each have their own exchange rates, with preferential rates for ASDA Rewards customers and Tesco Clubcard holders respectively.

Features compared

Here’s a quick look at the features on offer with ASDA Travel Money compared to Tesco Travel Money:

Feature	ASDA Travel Money	Tesco Travel Money
No of currencies	50+¹	45²
Home delivery	£4.99 fee, free for orders of £500+¹	£3.95-£4.99, free for orders of £500+³
Click & Collect	Yes, no fee¹	Yes, no fee³
Buy in-store	Yes, no fee¹	Yes, no fee³
Loyalty offers	Better rates for ASDA Rewards customers¹	Better rates for Tesco Clubcard holders³
Buyback service	Yes	Yes
Price match	Yes - within 5 miles of your chosen store¹	Yes - within 3 miles of your chosen store³

What currencies are available?

ASDA Travel Money has the slightest edge over Tesco when it comes to currencies, with 50+¹ available compared to its rival’s 45.²

Both offer all of the major currencies, including:

Euros (EUR)
US dollars (USD)
Australian dollars (AUD)
Canadian dollars (CAD)
Singapore dollars (SGD)
Swiss francs (CHF)
South African rand (ZAR)
Japanese yen (JPY).

ASDA Travel Money vs. Tesco Travel Money - fees and exchange rates

When buying currency, one of the most important factors for you will be the cost. You need to carefully compare both fees and exchange rates, to get the most spending money from your hard-earned pounds.

Let’s take a look at how ASDA and Tesco Travel Money compare on cost.

Fees

The great news is that neither Tesco Travel Money or ASDA Travel Money charge any commission fees. Both also offer in-store purchase or Click & Collect for free, for orders of any value.

But if you want home delivery, the following fees will apply:

	ASDA delivery fee¹	Tesco delivery fee³
Orders between £75 and £149.99	£4.99	£4.99
Orders between £150 and £499.99	£4.99	£3.95
Orders of £500+	Free	Free

Exchange rates

One of the biggest factors that will affect how many euros or dollars you get for your pounds is the exchange rate.

Both Tesco Travel Money and ASDA Travel Money use their own exchange rates to convert currency. These are similar, but you’ll need to compare rates at the time of purchase to see which is best. It’s also likely that the rates you get when you order online are better (or at least different) than when you buy in store without ordering in advance.

You’ll also get better exchange rates if you’re a member of the ASDA Rewards loyalty program when buying at ASDA Travel Money.¹ And likewise, if you’re buying currency at Tesco Travel Money, you’ll get better exchange rates if you have a Tesco Clubcard.³

Additionally, both services offer a price match feature for in-store purchases. Here are the details:

ASDA Price Promise - if you find a better exchange rate at another walk-in travel money provider within 5 miles of the ASDA Travel Money store you’re buying from, ASDA will beat it.¹
Tesco Price Match - if you find a better exchange rate at another provider within 3 miles of your chosen Tesco Travel Money Bureau on the same day, Tesco will match it.³

If you’re ordering online, you simply need to go to the ASDA Travel Money or Tesco Travel Money website and follow these steps:

Choose the currency you want to buy
Enter the amount you want to buy
Check that you’re happy with the exchange rate - if you’re a Tesco Clubcard or ASDA Rewards member, select this to see your preferential rates
Select your delivery method, whether it’s Click & Collect or Home Delivery.

If you need holiday money at the last minute, you can also just pop into any ASDA or Tesco store that has a Travel Money bureau and buy your currency on the spot.

Delivery and collection options

Both providers offer a choice of Click & Collect and Home Delivery, the latter of which is free if you order at least £500 of foreign currency.

Home delivery

We’ve already covered the fees for home delivery with both ASDA and Tesco, but you might also want to know how long it takes.

Here are the delivery times for ASDA Travel Money, depending on when your order is confirmed:⁴

Order confirmed	Earliest delivery
Before 1.30pm, Monday to Thursday	Next working day by 1pm
After 1:30pm, Monday to Wednesday	Second working day before 1pm
After 1.30pm Thursday, before 1.30pm Friday	Saturday or Monday before 1pm
After 1.30pm Friday and anytime Saturday to Sunday	The following Tuesday before 1pm

And here’s the same for Tesco Travel Money:⁵

Order confirmed	Earliest delivery
Before 1.30pm, Monday to Thursday	Next working day
After 1:30pm on Friday	Saturday or Monday
After 1.30pm Monday to Friday, or anytime at the weekend	Within 2 working days

Click & Collect

If you place an order with Tesco Travel Money and choose Click & Collect, you’ll be given a collection date. Your money will be available after 3pm on this date.⁵ You’ll need to enter your postcode and choose your nearest Tesco with a Travel Money Bureau in store.

With ASDA Travel Money, if you place your order (and receive confirmation) by 1.30pm, you should be able to collect the same day.⁴

If you’re using Click & Collect, you’ll need to take a valid form of photo ID along with you (such as your passport or driving licence).

Is there a buyback service?

Yes, both ASDA and Tesco offer a buyback service on travel money purchases. This is handy if you have any leftover notes after your trip, as you can sell them back in exchange for pounds.

You simply need to take along your leftover currency and the provider will buy it back at the exchange rates available on the day.

ASDA Travel Money also has a Buy Back Promise. This guarantees to buy back your unused currency at the original rate you bought it at. You’ll need to pay an extra £2.99 to opt into the service though, and you’ll only be able to exchange a maximum of £250 in leftover currency.⁶

The Wise card - a convenient alternative to exchanging currency

If you’re after better exchange rates and a cash-free solution for your holiday spending, check out the Wise card.

It’s the ideal alternative to foreign currency exchange services.

The Wise card is a contactless international debit card, which can be used in 150+ countries worldwide. It works everywhere from shops and restaurants to transport hubs and hotels.

When you spend, the card automatically converts your pounds to the local currency at the mid-market exchange rate. There are no margins or markups, only a small currency conversion fee. And if you already have the currency in your Wise account, there’s no charge.

Get started with Wise

Need cash? No problem. The Wise card lets you withdraw up to £200 a month (2 or less withdrawals) with no fee. Although you’ll need to watch out that overseas ATM operators don’t charge their own fee.

With the Wise card, there’s no need to worry about ordering foreign currency, or the potential security risks of carrying cash around. You can just tap and spend like a local, knowing you’re always getting a great exchange rate.

What’s more, you can manage your account, card and spending on the move, using the handy Wise app.

Open a Wise multi-currency account online and you can get a Wise card for a one-time cost of just £7, with no subscription fees.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

So which is best - ASDA Travel Money or Tesco Travel Money?

Ultimately, there’s very little to choose between ASDA and Tesco’s travel money services. They both work in the same way, have a similar number of available currencies and delivery options too. They even mirror each other on additional features, such as a price match promise and buyback service.

Which one you choose is likely to come down to the exchange rate. If you’re a Tesco Clubcard or ASDA Rewards customer, you’ll get preferential rates - which could just swing it for you.

Before purchasing your currency, just make sure to compare a range of options for holiday spending, including the Wise card.

Open a Wise Account Today 🚀

Sources used for this article:

Sources checked on 23-Oct-2023.

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.